


Things Lost To Fire

by The_Asexual_Avenger



Category: South Park
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-01-13
Updated: 2015-01-13
Packaged: 2018-03-07 08:57:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3169010
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Asexual_Avenger/pseuds/The_Asexual_Avenger
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Given up by their mother, the McCormick siblings find themselves in a quiet mountain town called South Park, in the care of the Testaburgers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Things Lost To Fire

**Author's Note:**

> So this is just a brief introduction to the story, heavily influenced by "The Book Thief." This will probably be the only chapter that bears a strong resemblance to "The Book Thief" - mainly because I was inspired by Death's opening narrative in the movie. (Which is also why this part is so short...)

_Here’s a simple fact: you **are** going to die.Despite every effort, no one really lives forever.Though if I may offer some advice: when the time comes, don’t panic; it doesn’t seem to help.All that lives must one day die, and it seems that one can only know true peace once he or she has come to accept that simple fact.After all, humans have such a limited lifespan; once you come to terms with your own mortality, you can decide whether or not you’ll make the most of what time you do have.Nothing is certain.Each breath you take may very well be your last._

_I suppose you’re wondering who I am, telling you all of this as though I’m some sort of expert.In a way, I suppose I am something of an expert on the subject. I might even be the only expert, in fact.  Perhaps I **should** introduce myself—although I frankly don’t see much of a point, considering you’ll meet me soon enough.Not before your time, of course, but soon enough all the same.As I said, your time is limited and precious.Though far be it for me to instruct the living on how to go about their businesses.It’s something of a personal policy of mine to never interact with the living._

_...Though, sometimes...I can’t help myself.Every so often there’s a soul, a sparkling bit of light that catches me unawares and I can’t bring myself to look away.I can’t tell you what exactly it was about young Kenneth McCormick but..._

A young boy with messy blond hair sat sandwiched between an older boy with obviously unwashed brown hair and dirt on his face and a redheaded woman holding a young girl close to her.A man sat across from the woman, hunched over slightly and swaying with the movement of the train.The blond boy glanced up at his father, doing a double take as he realized that the man across from him wasn’t breathing.

“Mom...”

_He caught me._

The train’s whistle melded with a sharp scream.

_And I cared._

\-----\\\\-----\\\\-----\\\\-----\\\\-----\\\\-----

As a young girl, Caroline Howard had never envisioned that by twenty-three she’d have three children and be running for her life across several state lines.And yet, there she was, on the side of the railroad tracks with three young children by her side as a preacher gave the father of her children a Christian burial.

“Mrs. McCormick,” the priest asked after he finished the prayers, “do you have anything you want to say?”

She shook her head, blinking away the tears.Stuart had been her life ever since she was twelve; what was she supposed to do without him?They were en route to South Park, where a family had agreed to take in their children since she and Stuart were no longer in a position to care for them.It had been a bitter blow to their pride, but Caroline wanted to do what was right for her children.Living in hiding was no way for children to grow up.

Kevin, her oldest at ten years old, took her hand and gave it a small squeeze.She squeezed back, biting her lip before turning away.Kevin grabbed a hold of Karen; both of her sons had become protective of their little sister, a fact that eased something in Caroline’s heart.

As she began to leave the grave behind, she didn’t notice Kenny snatching a small black book that had fallen out of one of the gravediggers’ back pocket.The blond boy stuffed it into his jacket before running to catch up with his family.By the time the gravedigger noticed the book was gone, the thief was long gone, on his way to a new home on a quiet, unassuming street in an equally quiet and unassuming town.


End file.
